Two staff members (D1 and D2) of a freight forwarder (Company A) have been charged by the ICAC for allegedly using copies of false documents in their application to the Trade and Industry Department (TID) for a Certificate of Hong Kong Service Supplier (HKSS) for the purpose of joining the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA).

D1, 41, and D2, 46, respectively former secretary and air freight manager of Company A, face a joint charge of using copies of false instruments.

The defendants will appear in Kowloon City Magistracy at 9:30 am tomorrow (Friday) for plea.

The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offence.

Company A was a freight forwarder providing delivery service by air, sea or land.

Since mid 2005, Company A had, via its Hong Kong sole agent, engaged an airline company in the Mainland as one of its air carriers. Under the arrangement, the airline company would never issue debit notes to Company A directly.

The charge alleges that on April 23, 2008, the defendants used copies of three debit notes, purportedly issued by the airline company and which they knew to be false, with the intention of inducing an officer of the TID to accept them as copies of genuine instruments.

Believing that the said debit notes were genuine, the TID was caused to issue a HKSS Certificate to Company A on May 23, 2008.

The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance tomorrow.